Reply #8: Countdown to the Cup: Early Angles [View All]

[two gun sid]

As we all know there is always an angle or two we can latch on to in the Breeders’ Cup. The trick is finding them among the morass of stakes horses that line up for the 14 races. There probably are more chances of landing a longshot on a synthetic surface, because, in all honesty, does anyone really know how to handicap these races?

How many people were really expecting Ventura to inhale Indian Blessing and the other top female sprinters with such an explosive move? How do you anticipate the boat race that was the Marathon and the total lack of form at the finish? How do you expect the 6-5 Well Armed to slog around the track without ever threatening in the slightest? For all those who took a shot with the top-class, Eastern dirt horse Munnings in the Juvenile, will you do that again this year? Did you really expect to see the top Eastern sprinter Fabulous Strike just go through the motions in the Sprint? And finally, how many people honestly expected to see Europeans finish one-two in the Classic?

It’s become pretty evident that handicapping a Pro-Ride Breeders’ Cup is all about grass horses, synthetic specialists, and European invaders, with all three pretty much intertwined. That doesn’t necessarily mean that dirt horses are left out in the cold…or heat in this case. It just means they are unknown quantities and you’re basically guessing when you bet on them.

So, taking all that into consideration, here are some horses, most of whom ran last weekend, who could be considered intriguing betting angles.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/52986/countdown-to-the-cup-early-angles